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Longbow (Red Alert 1)
The Longbow is an attack helicopter used by the Allies during the Second World War. Background It is equipped with heavy armour, sophisticated targeting equipment and several missile launchers. Its powerful missiles and great speed enable it to hunt enemy tanks, particularly fragile V2 rocket launcher. Other units, such as Heavy tanks, are equally vulnerable because of their lack of anti-aircraft armament. In-game Longbows do not have sufficient armour to survive prolonged anti-aircraft fire, and thus commanders were forced to deploy them carefully. However, once deployed, the Longbows prove very effective against armoured targets. The downside to the powerful missiles is that the Longbow can only carry 10, and must reload at an intact Helipad before re-engaging the foe. Being an air unit, the Longbow, rather illogically, cannot effectively scout terrain. The Longbow's heavy armour means that they could withstand at least a few volleys of missiles, and could even engage Mammoth Tanks for limited duration with a decent chance of survival. Because of the guided ordinance used by the helicopter, it has the ability to engage aircraft, while it would struggle to engage Soviet Yaks or MiGs because of their faster speed, this does give it the ability to engage Hinds, as the Hind cannot engage aircraft and travels slower than the Longbow, this gives them an advantage. Unfortunately this could rarely be conducted, as air to air engagements were rare and due to the Command and Control program of the era not allowing commanders to target an airborne enemy. Legacy Tiberium Universe It was further used by the Brotherhood of Nod as the primary attack helicopter in the First Tiberium War with their missiles replaced by chain guns. Red Alert Universe With the Allied forces expanding their air force by the end of the war, the Longbow's role was taken by the more mobile Harrier, and the only helicopter fielded by the Allies during Third World War was the Nighthawk Transport. Behind the scenes "Longbow" is the nickname for the AH-64D variant of the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship which features numerous upgrades over the original including a glass cockpit and advanced sensors. The original version of the Apache, the AH-64A, was first produced in 1984 and was deployed to Europe in 1987 for military exercises, during the later years of the Cold War when the Soviet Union was still seen as the main threat to NATO. The AH-64D Apache Longbow was first delivered in 1997, which by then the Soviet Union had dissolved and was replaced by Russia and other successor states. The in-game unit and promotional render resembles the AH-64A. It is missing the AH-64D's radome (fire control radar) mounted above the main rotor, so the "Longbow" nickname is erroneous. It's possible, however, that in the C&C timeline, the names were reversed, with the original model being named 'Longbow' and the modernized model used by Nod being named 'Apache'. Most official sources use the full length nickname "Apache Longbow" for the AH-64D. All other Command and Conquer titles with the AH-64 use the "Apache" nickname. Assessment Pros *Effective against vehicles, ships(Especially transports) and buildings. *Very fast. *Powerful in numbers. *One of the best army harassment, lethal threat to harvesters if undefended. *Heavy armour. *Ideal for dealing with the mammoth tanks due to the mammoth tanks missiles arent very effective against helicopters. Cons *Poorly armoured. *Ineffective against infantry. *Must return to helipad for reloading. *Limited production on each helipad. *Ineffective against fast moving units. *Relatively expensive. *The allies only air unit as they don't have good aircraft unlike their soviet rivals. Gallery File:apaches.jpg|Render File:RA1_Longbow_French_Icons.gif|Icon with French text RA1_Apache_Russian_Icons.gif|Icon with Russian text red-alert-longbow-attacking-heavy-tank-colour.png|Longbows attacking a Soviet tank column Trivia The Longbow is an upgraded variant of the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter. See also *Hind - The Soviets' attack helicopter during the Second World War. *Apache - The attack helicopter of the Brotherhood of Nod during the First Tiberium War. Category:Red Alert 1 aircraft Category:Red Alert 1 Allied Arsenal